Generally, when a boat is transported to a launch site by means other than a boat trailer, it is necessary to launch the boat manually.
There are available wheels which may be applied to support the stern of a small boat so that the sportsman may pick up the bow and push the boat into the water. However, even a relatively small boat can be quite cumbersome and difficult for a person to manipulate, particularly with an outboard motor mounted and fishing and other equipment aboard. Therefore, as a practical matter, it is necessary for the sportsman to take his boat, and his outboard motor and equipment, in separate trips to the water's edge. Then, when returning to shore, it is necessary to unload all of the equipment and the outboard motor at the bottom of the ramp to avoid tying it up during busy periods, and take them away from the water's edge in separate trips. In the event that one is camping for a period of several days, it is necessary to repeat this procedure, simply because of human limitation, for every trip to and from the water. To further compound the difficulty, some boat launching ramps are relatively steep making it extremely difficult to pull the boat from the water.